If you follow this blog, chances are you know what "the 4th wall" is and how someone can break it. But for anyone who didn't take Intro to Film in college: originally a device of theater, the 4th wall is an understanding between performers and audiences that the front of a stage or the lens of a camera acts as the wall which closes off a room or other space, thereby enclosing the fictional world in which the story takes place. An actor "breaks the fourth wall" when they acknowledge the audience (or the wall itself) in some way. We call this metafiction -- that is, a story that acknowledges its fictional nature. Sometimes it's just called "meta" (Community, anyone?)

My most memorable actor-audience moment was probably Kevin McAllister in Home Alone (a somewhat unexplainable omission in the following video); or when Ferris Bueller, including us in his wacky hijinks via camera, detailed the particulars of faking illness. Genius.

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, an event that came with the usual fanfare: a Blu-ray re-release (without the controversial 2002 shotgun removals and computer animation), interviews, and behind the scenes footage. In this video, Henry Thomas (who played Elliott) had finished his not-so-great audition when director Steven Spielberg asked him to improvise a scene. Having nothing to lose, he went for broke. According to a 1991 TV Guide interview, he summoned tears by thinking of the family's deceased dog. The result is nothing short of magical.

About the improvisation, Spielberg said: "[It] was so heartfelt and honest that I gave him the part right there... I was blown away by this nine-year-old. Then I came to realize he’s an adult actor, not a nine-year-old. He’s a very controlled, methodical performer who measures what he does and feels what he does and yet broadcasts it in a totally subtle way. His performance is so controlled, unlike most kid performers, who seem to be giving you 150 percent on every shot. Henry’s performance is just a bread crumb at a time, but he takes you in a wonderful direction to a very, very rousing catharsis. He’s just a 'once in a lifetime' kid."